Argenis Mendez has appealed his 2nd round knockout to Rances Barthelemy that cost him his IBF Jr. Lightweight title when Barthelemy landed the decisive blows after the bell according to Dan Rafael of espn.com
“It’s pretty simple,” attorney Pat English told ESPN.com. “The bell rang and punches were thrown after the bell. Punches after the bell hit Mr. Mendez and the rules say that is a foul. Mr. Mendez was unable to continue. It’s very clear that it should be handled as a no contest.”
Barthelemy’s team was notified of the appeal and will submit its own comments, Warriors Boxing’s Leon Margules, Barthelemy’s promoter, said Thursday night.
“We have until January 17th to respond,” he said. “But the referee is the sole arbiter of the fight. There’s no question that Rances was on his way to the knockout victory, and anyone who watched the fight knows that. He was hurt badly even before the knockout.
“Everything has to be evaluated. There is a reason the referee is a sole arbiter of the fight and he made a decision. Do I think he did a good job? I think that he maybe he saved the kid (Mendez) from further punishment. He called the knockout a legal blow. To take my fighter’s title away from him that he earned in the ring is wrong.”
“Mr. Podgorski erred, pure and simple. He had a bad night, with many good ones,” English wrote in the appeal. “This protest is a way of rectifying that bad night, not a condemnation.”